


Heavy Hearts

by KeeperofSeeds



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bathing/Washing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Femslash, Femslash February, Friends With Benefits, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Past Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Satine Kryze Lives, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-10-20 14:53:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17624480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperofSeeds/pseuds/KeeperofSeeds
Summary: There are times when Padmé wishes she could have done like Satine, and kept Naboo neutral. But even if she is dealing with secrets of her own, she's very glad Naboo does have a limited military willing to defy orders and go help the Duchess in her time of need. After, once she's rescued Satine, Padmé personally makes sure the woman is healthy and taken care of.





	Heavy Hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/gifts).



> "Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water." Christopher Morley

Padme resisted the urge to check the holonet. The news reporters were just going to be repeating the same things as this morning.  
Filling time, sensationalizing the story, interviewing anyone remotely connected to Satine or Mandalore's government, hosting discussions about the planet's neutrality and the role of various government officials by people who'd never been off Coruscant. That had been when she'd finally turned the program off the first time.

She'd cancelled all her afternoon meetings for today and had been pacing around her apartment for lack of anything better to do.

She should have been used to waiting by now, but even after her years as Queen it still chafed. She still hated being left out of missions. But common sense had overridden her heart in this case. She couldn't be seen on Mandalore. A member of the Senate sneaking in to break out a hostage on the neutral system could be seen as an act of aggression. It would endanger her standing in the Senate and put Satine in an even more difficult situation if she sought to take back control of her planet.

So Padme waited, and glanced again at her comm link for any hint of news.  
The Naboo team had gone dark the day before yesterday, which was to be expected. Maul and Deathwatch were still in control of comms and had blocked any signals coming in to the planet.

Padme paused and looked out over the balcony. The Coruscant traffic was just as heavy as ever, speeders racing past mirroring her racing thoughts. She reminded herself yet again that she trusted Sabe with her life She knew was her former Handmaiden was capable of. She knew how capable Captain Parnaka was. She'd passed along Sabe's comm number to him along with pleas to help. She'd expected at most that he would pass along some of Naboo's limited military's weapons and gear for them, but he'd volunteered to lead a second team on the mission with any men of his that would volunteer.  
Padme had been overwhelmed with gratitude. She was surrounded by so many friends willing answer a call for help, and to fight injustice in the galaxy. It gave her strength when she began to doubt.

She took a deep breath in, and let out a strangled yelp as her comm rang midway through her exhale. She stumbled on the edge of her gown as she rushed back across the room to grab it.

She took another shaky inhale in, and answered it.

"What's your status?"

"The extraction was successful," Sabe's voice rang out. "We have her my Lady."

Padme closed her eyes and let the relief wash through her.  
"Were there any complications?" she asked.

"Minor ones. We had ships following us up to atmo and had to split up. Parnaka and his group took the brunt of the fire while we escaped."

"Update me if you hear back from him. I'll be ready at the rendezvous when you arrive."

"Affirmative. Sabe out."

Padme lets the hand holding the comm fall to her side and moves to sit on the arm of her couch. So much could have gone wrong, could still go wrong really, but her friend was alive. That was all the mattered in this moment. They could deal with the fallout together.

* * *

There are times when she wishes she could have done like Satine, and kept Naboo neutral in the war, however, in times such as this, she's very glad Naboo does have a limited military willing to defy orders and go help the Duchess in her time of need.   
Padme remembers exactly how dangerous Maul could be. It had been years until she and Obi Wan had sat down to talk about that day, not until after Maul had resurfaced, but talk they did. Padme probably knew more than most non Jedi did.

Speaking of Obi Wan, she should comm him. He'd been the one to tell her about the reality of the situation. Not just what was being shown on the holonet. He'd been the one to tell her about Maul's involvement and Satine's message. He'd been considering defying orders from the Council when he'd contacted her, apparently on advice from Anakin.

He would want to know Satine was safe on Coruscant.

* * *

A transport lands on her apartment platform and Padme hurries to stand. It's an effort not to rush forward, to simply wait and not crowd her friend. Sabe makes her way down the lowered ramp slowly, hands hovering behind the cloaked figure walking in front of her.

Finally, they reach her, slipping inside her apartment silently. Padme’s eyes are still fixed on the hooded figure.

“Satine?” She says, “You’re safe now. I’m going to do whatever I can to help you.”

Slowly the figure raises its head, and meets Padme’s eyes.  
Satine is covered in soot and her eyes are red, but dry. “I didn’t expect things to go wrong so quickly,” she admits in a rasping voice.  
  
She looks lost, and Padme’s heart breaks. She holds her arms out and Satine slowly allows herself to be drawn into an embrace.  
Padme looks over her shoulder at Sabe, who nods at her. “My team will stay on guard here for the next few cycles. Just in case. We’ll also keep checking the frequencies for word from Parnaka.”

“Thank you Sabe,” Padme says, “you’ve always been a dear friend, and we’re indebted to you for your work here.”  
Satine pulls away to face Sabe as well. “Yes,” she says, “I do not know how to repay you for this. You likely saved my life. Whatever power or resources I may still have access to are yours.”

Sabe smiles. “You owe me no debt, my Lady. Any friend of Padme is a friend of mine.” She winks at Padme, “especially if her friends handle themselves so well in a battle. Not all would have kept their wits about them like you did. It was an honor to assist you.” The two women clasped hands, then Sabe inclined her head again and turned to the ship, off to inform the rest of her crew and set up watch shifts.

Padme, her arm still resting over Satine, gently began to pull her further into the apartment.

“Come on. It’s been a long day. I’ll draw you a bath and them you can get some rest, and tomorrow we can start discussing what to do next.”

* * *

Padme set the tub to fill and turned to help Satine disrobe. Satine has already let the soot stained robe fall to the floor, but her clothes seem to have not fared any better. Padme’s hands hover for a moment and Satine glances down as well.

“It was...a difficult journey,” she says slowly, and seems to want to leave it at that. Padme nods, though Satine has already let her eyes drop.

“You’re safe here,” she says again.

“I suspect I will not feel that way for some time,” Satine replies. “Though I am grateful beyond words to have a friend such as you in these times.”

She raises her arms and allows Padme to strip the ruined clothes from her, and to help her step into the steaming tub. The water glistened with oil, something to soothe aches and pains. Satine relaxes back with a long exhale. Padme leaves her soaking and walks to the adjoining room to gather more supplies. A jar of salt to scrub with, a sponge, and another warming body oil for later if Satine needs it. Bathing on Naboo is not just a simple task or chore, it is time to heal, to wash away the worries of the day. It's time to care for yourself body and mind. She's had to scale back her routine since moving to the apartments here, but she hopes she can still bring about the same care and feeling to Satine now.

Satine hasn't moved much when Padme returns. She's only sunk deeper into the water, her chin hovering just above the water line. Her eyes are closed, but a furrow still mars the space between her eyebrows. Stress or fatigue weighing her down. Padme gentle sets down her jars and reaches a hand out to lay it gently on Satine's shoulder.

"Let me wash you hair?" She asks? Satine nods silently and slides down further to wet her hair. She then sits up and waits. Padme pulls a step stool over to sit on but hesitates before reaching out. She didn't see it before, but now, sitting bare in the bath she sees the fading edges of a large bruise on Satine's back. Yellows and a center of fading blue-green spreading out from the middle of her back in uneven colors.

Satine looks over her shoulder. "It's nothing," she says, but her eyes still lack the spark of fire Padme had come to know and love.

"It's not 'nothing'" she replies. "You've been through a lot. Your hurt, physical or otherwise, isn't just nothing."  
Satine looks away, but Padme continues, "I'm sorry for what you went through. I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"You always have," comes the quiet reply. "You've always had such a big heart Padme..." she trails off but doesn't seem inclined to talk more, so Padme reaches out finally to begin rubbing the soap into Satine's tangled hair.

"Rinse," she commands. "And finish scrubbing that dirt off. 'll go fetch some fresh towels."

Padme is only gone a few moments, but when she returns it is to an upsetting scene. Satine has taken up the scrub but instead of carefully washing away the grit and dirt she is harshly rubbing the mix into her arm again and again and again. Her pale skin is a mess of patch redness, even from across the room.

Padme drops the towels with a noise of anguish and rushes forward, grabbing at her friend's arm. Satine flinches away. Tears form in her eyes, but her face twists with anger. "I should have done more." She spits out. "I've failed my people. Left them to that...tyrant!"

Padme holds her hand firmly between her own. She knows this anger, has felt it herself. She knows it is unlikely that her words, however kind will penetrate the guilt Satine feels. But that does not mean she won't try.

She pulls the hand in her grasp closer and lays a gentle kiss against the scrapped knuckles. "It was not your fault," she reiterates, and presses another gentle kiss on the underside of her wrist. "You did all that you could for your people." Another kiss, feather light against the irritated skin on her forearm.

Satine keeps her face turned away, but Padme reaches out with one of her hands to gently pull her attention back. "I will do everything I can to help you. Trust me. Let me take care of you tonight. It's been far too long I suspect since you let anyone do this for you."

"Only you ever did," comes the soft reply, and Satine quiets once more and become pliable. The anger and self hate draining away with the bathwater. She lets Padme gather up the towels and wrap her in them. She lets Padme push her down the hall to the guest bedroom, with fresh linens on the bed. She pulls on the gown Padme loans her, silk, and far more luxurious than her usual night wear. She feels suddenly exhausted. Like that moment of anger drained her of all other emotion. She lets Padme pull back the bed cover and slides in between the covers. Her eyes begin to droop as soon as she lays back, the weight of the day pulling her down into blissful sleep.

Padme leans over and places a kiss against her temple, her lips are warm and even after she pulls away Satine feels their shape lingering.  
Satine reached out a hand to grasp at Padme's sleeve. “Stay,” she whispered, and Padme easily slid into the covers beside her, no more words needed. It's been years since they've curled together like this, but she easily fits herself into the space beside Satine. An arm slides around her middle and pulls her close. Padme can feel the damp heat of Satine's breathe against her neck. She works to slow her breathing minute by minute and feels Satine slowly copy her. They drift into sleep together. Comforted, if only for now.

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta read so if you see any glaring errors feel free to let me know! This has been sitting in my WIP folder for far too long and I'm glad to finally put it out into the world. These two characters are such great well rounded female characters and I love their interactions together in the series. 
> 
> And in case it didn't come across very well, I intended Padme and Satine to have been friends with benefits are some point in the past and they are falling into some old habits when back together. I wanted to portray them together but also not completely ignore the canon romances between Satine & Obi-Wan (in the past) and Padme & Anakin (present day). I may have started planning a small spin-off fic of Padme's call to let Obi-Wan know Satine was rescued but I'm not sure if I want to peruse that baby plot bunny because this prompt is supposed to be for Femslash Feb.


End file.
